Immortal Blessings
by Mandarin Orange
Summary: They shall be the ones to save us all, so they will be told. They must know that they are both Immortals." Everyone thinks the war is over. Little do they know that this was just a battle, and the war hasn't even begun yet. )Rated R for later chapters, ho
1. Tomorrow Can't Come Fast Enough

Disclaimer: I'll say this once, and we'll all know it...right? All right, I own no one but Domina Lumine, Nicholas Servus, and any other special guests on this show... oh, wait. Wrong thing.

Let's try this again. If it even sounds _faintly_ JK-ish, it's not mine. I swear, really, I mean it...

This is my first fanfic. Please be constructive, and let me know what needs work. In English...review, and maybe I'll send you a wonderful bribe- I mean, prize.

-Keri

* * *

Immortal Blessings

Chapter 1: Tomorrow Can't Come Fast Enough

Hermione Granger's trunk was packed. This was no surprise; she had, after all, bought her seventh year supplies within hours of receiving her book list. However, she had spent the last month double- and triple-checking it "just to be sure I haven't forgotten anything." She laughed softly to herself as she realized she was doing this yet again, and went to her bathroom to brush her teeth.

Her level of excitement over the coming school year would have probably driven her parents to the point of insanity, had this not been her routine every summer since the day her acceptance letter had arrived by owl. The fact that she had been made Head Girl didn't hurt either.

One thing had definitely been unlike the other summers: Hermione herself. As she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, she realized that her mother's constant predictions of "You'll grow into a lovely young woman, dear" had finally come true. After all, her hair was finally under at least some sort of control. Rather than being the bushy mane of the last six years, it tumbled halfway down her back in soft chocolate curls with golden highlights sprinkled throughout. the rest of her had fared just as well, with curves in all the right places and legs that seemed to stretch for miles. It was the same old Hermione, but she was now as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside.

Any guy would have looked at her and thought she was an absolute knockout. However, Hermione -who seemed to know everything about everyone except herself- was almost entirely naive to this discovery. The space in her mind was currently taken up by just about everything else- books, studies (she'd only gone through the first 350 pages in the Transfiguration textbook and didn't feel as if she had prepared enough for the class yet), friends...

She missed Harry and Ron like nothing else. They had been through so much together, and she hadn't seen them since that fateful day in sixth year, where the three had joined together with the most unlikely of allies to defeat Voldemort. She had no idea how they were dealing with the aftermath- all known Death Eaters had been immediately sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss (the Ministry had become fearful of another mass breakout), but Voldemort's following was widespread. No one knew just how many people he had managed to lure into his group.

Hermione had promised to herself that she would check on them often to see them, but all of her plans to visit them- and, as a result, to see Ginny (who had become one of her best friends)- had been dashed when her parents announced a surprise vacation to New York to visit her cousins. Not to say she hadn't enjoyed the visit, but she simply missed everyone she was accustomed to seeing and was worried sick about them. she made sure to write to them often, though.

Through constant letters to the boys from Hermione over the summer, she had discovered that neither had been chosen to be Head Boy. Although she hated to admit it, it hadn't come as a surprise to her. The two simply didn't have the marks for it, and they had spent the last six years copying off her anyway. And no one could forget how they had probably broken more school rules than there were in existence, if that was possible.

However, Hermione had absolutely no idea as to who _had_ been given the coveted position. _It's probably a Ravenclaw or someone like that,_ Hermione thought to herself as she left the bathroom and walked back into her bedroom.

A mere twelve hours separated her from their reunion at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters the next day. Her arrival at the platform would begin her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. The danger was gone from her life. She was Head Girl. Nothing could have been better for her.

"Tomorrow can't come fast enough," Hermione said to herself as she turned out the light by her bed and entered the realm of her dreams.

* * *

That very night, it was obvious to anyone looking through the window of the new Malfoy Manor that Draco Malfoy was, for the first time in his life, somewhat happy.

Most people can say they love their parents and look up to them; their parents are role models for them. Draco, however, was one of those exceptions- one of those people who had "drawn the short end of the stick." That had been the case for him, for almost his entire life.

Everything changed over the summer after his fifth year, when his father was sent to Azkaban after being caught in the Department of Mysteries the night of Sirius Black's death. Draco's mother- who had never really been a strong person, nor one with much free will- had committed herself to Voldemort even more in an attempt to make up for her incarcerated husband, until the Dark Lord had killed her after she had failed to successfully torture and murder a Muggle family.

Meanwhile, his father's influence in the Ministry was now nonexistent. Lucius Malfoy had been effectively blacklisted, and he had no one to turn to but the man he had devoted his life to. However, Lucius no longer had anything to offer the Dark Lord, save for a deep-seated hatred of Muggles and quite a bit of experience in the Dark Arts.

Voldemort quickly realized that his connection to the Ministry of Magic's activities was gone, and had no more use for Lucius. He was quickly relegated to the lower-level Death Eaters, no more than a common follower.

Common followers were the first to go once Voldemort had been killed. They were simply the easiest to eliminate, by the fighters for the Light, fellow Death Eaters, and even Voldemort himself, when he saw it fit to do so.

Draco had never turned to the world of darkness. He saw what it had done to his parents in the end. Instead of getting the Dark Mark- the only thing his father had ever seen him as being good for- Draco ran to Albus Dumbledore and joined the Order of the Phoenix in the middle of his sixth year. Other Malfoy relatives had left him quite a bit of money to live off of, and once his parents were gone, Draco had enough to last him for the rest of his life. He was, however, still set on becoming Hogwarts' next potions professor, as Severus Snape was planning to retire in five years and was convinced that "that was barely enough time to train a new professor in the subtleties of potion-making." His appointment to the Head Boy position had greatly surprised him, even though he knew that Dumbledore was assured of his transition to the side of good. It was a new thing for him to be happy for something that he had deserved, rather than feeling as if it was unimportant to those who mattered.

He was in his own house now- a Malfoy Manor without the ominous sense of foreboding terror that had come with the previous house. He was far from prying eyes, yet known to those who were important to him. He gave a warm thanks to the three house-elves who had just finished packing his trunk, who proceeded to leave him alone to his musings.

The years of abuse were finally over. The next day would be the start of a new... a new _everything_- a way for him to erase what he had done to others and show them that Draco Malfoy was nothing like his father.

_I will never end up like him,_ were the last words that ran through Draco's head before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Miles away from both Draco and Hermione, a discussion was taking place. this would- unbeknownst to them- take their lives in a completely different course than they had ever imagined.

"I believe we have gone on long enough," announced the disembodied voice in the corner; a female, yet one who spoke with a definite sense of power and authority. It was evident that this was not a person one would ever want to find themselves in the way of.

A second voice, just as powerful, yet with the shy, timid undertones unmistakably used by a man when speaking to his superior, started to object to this statement. "They seem....unprepared, Miss... perhaps it would be best for us all if they had some more time to complete their studies, to get their lives on course- "

"I believe they have gone on long enough, my friend. They cannot continue on this path. As intelligent and powerful as they both are, they are entirely ignorant to their true selves. This will quickly become a hindrance to them. They must be told who they are, and they have to be trained to handle it. I have already begun the preparations for them."

"I understand, but I worry for- " the voice of Nicholas Servus was again cut off by that of his friend and ruler.

"Nicholas, I have known you nearly my whole life. We have been through centuries of wars together, you know the disasters that have occurred when people have waited..." the voice trailed off; it seemed as if she had just recalled painful, forgotten memories.

The following silence was nearly deafening.

She broke it cautiously, but with the same sense of power as before. "I know what you fear, but you have foretold the same events as I have imagined. We both realize that if we delay any more than we already have, we will surely fail, and the world of the Light will collapse from under our feet. We are powerless to change what is to come, and we will have to do whatever is necessary.

"Although I greatly value your opinion, and as much as I treat it as if it were my own, I must still ask you not to question my authority on the matter again."

Domina Lumine- true to her name, the brightest master- stood up, effectively ending the discussion. "They shall be the ones to save us all, so they will be told. They must know that they are both Immortals."

* * *

AN:

and chapter one is up. (as if you haven't noticed...) I'm working on the next one, but I'm taking 5 ap classes at school. those familiar with this torture fondly refer to it as "ap suicide."

i like saying "i have a shitload of homework" more. it works just as well. for example, i didn't get to bed until 3 in the morning last night, and i have to be up by 5...

i'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible. i know draco's slightly OOC at the moment, but believe me, i'm working my way back to the draco we all know, love and secretly have tattoos of on our...well, that's a whole other story.

**draco: "wow, i never thought you'd actually do that for me. and i thought that you were just kidding when you said you planned on that."**

keri: "don't flatter yourself that much, my dear... you never know what i could write about you..."

**draco: "but you like me too much, and you don't have anything on me to tell them anywa- wait, you'd never say _that,_ right?"**

keri: (hums to self) (walks away from the computer)

**draco: "no, don't leave me here!"**

**draco: "hello?!"**

**draco: "why aren't you saying anything?! fine! tell them i still sleep with my teddy bear, for all i care! just don't tell them that i..." (cries)**

until i get the chance to breathe again, i wish you all a happy...something.

-keri


	2. I Knew You Weren't Telling Me Something

AN: So I've updated yet again. That's right, I'm spending the time I should be using to do my homework (I'm taking AP Chem, AP Calculus and AP Physics- along with two other AP classes- all in the same year, pray for me...) writing chapters for this instead. Why do I do this? Because I love you, I think. All four of you that gave me reviews.

And now, a threat. If you don't review, I may just decide to leave the story unfinished. Whether you think I'm the next JKR, or if you're convinced that I should disappear, never to write again- is up to you. But review anyway, and let me know what works and what doesn't.

I still own nothing you've ever found in a Harry Potter book. and since it takes too much time and energy for me to type that over and over again, I won't. You already know I don't own anything, so there.

And now... Chapter 2.

Immortal Blessings

Chapter 2: I Knew You Weren't Telling Me Something, But...

At 7:00 A.M., Hermione woke up with a start.

September first was here. The day had finally arrived. She was about to return to Hogwarts for the last time.

She went into her bathroom to take the longest shower in the universe (she had always been accustomed to long, hot showers). Nearly an hour later, she was back in her bedroom, wrapped in a towel, about to get dressed.

As was her tradition, she chose her favorite pair of jeans to wear on the train ride, along with a black tank top. The jeans not only fit her perfectly, but they had more than the usual sentimental value. They had somehow been on her for just about everything she had ever been through, and they showed it. A dark blue when she had bought them, they had gradually faded to the perfect shade, and were the most comfortable pair she owned. It was almost like buying a vintage pair of jeans, but this had been ripped, shredded and faded on their own accord, which made them so much better.

That, and she felt happiest wearing something she knew she looked great in.

Hermione left her hair down after combing it out a bit, instead of straightening her curls into absolute oblivion. The arsenal of makeup she owned- thanks to her mother, who had tried everything possible over the last six years to make Hermione look remotely like a girl- was in her trunk, much against her better judgment.

Not that wearing makeup really made a difference at the time. Even with her truly beaten up jeans, a simple tank top, and curls flying free, she still looked almost as if she had stepped straight out of a magazine.

Dragging her trunk and a backpack downstairs and into the front hall, Hermione returned to the dining room to find a complete breakfast at her place at the table. A covered plate with bacon, sausage, two fried eggs, and four hot chocolate chip pancakes in strawberry syrup- always her favorite- lay next to a bowl of fruit salad- strawberries, sliced pineapple, chunks of watermelon, and a few pieces of banana scattered throughout. Two tall glasses- one with chocolate milk, the other with orange juice- completed the spectacle that was to be her breakfast.

This had to be from her parents. Only they- and Harry and Ron, of course- knew her that well. Her parents had been invited to some convention for dentists in Italy, and had left just a few hours before her descent down the stairs. She knew it had hurt them to know that they were to miss Hermione's first day of seventh year, and they had been searching for a way to make it up to her. This was absolutely perfect.

A note next to this fantastic display read,

_Our dearest Hermione,_

_Your father and I were talking about what we would do for your first day of your seventh year, since our flight to Italy for the European Dentists' Convention was so early in the morning. As you know, we tried everything to change it, but all other flights were booked._

_In an attempt to make this up to you, we settled on giving you something that won't really last too long, but that we thought you'd love very much. I, personally, have never been able to figure out how you can eat chocolate chip pancakes with strawberry syrup, but to each their own, and it always has been your favorite. We figured that you should start your year off well- not that you already haven't, what with your becoming Head Girl and all.._

_Remember that we're more proud of you than you could ever know. While you're at it, Hermione, it's only eight-thirty in the morning. You still have some time to relax. (You've gotten up far too early every first day since your first year at school, and we have the feeling today won't be any different. Are we right?)_

_Love, hugs and good luck over the next year,_

_Mom and Dad_

Hermione looked at the microwave in the kitchen. Sure enough, she didn't have to be at King's Cross for at least another two hours. She laughed to herself at how predictable she could be at times, and settled down to have the best breakfast she'd eaten in a long time.

* * *

Draco lazily awoke from slumber at 8:45, to see that the house-elves, the same ones who had served under him and his family his entire life- had already prepared breakfast for him and set it next to his bed. The fact that they still did things like that for him even after he, like his father, had abused them- was a miracle to him. His treatment of his house-elves had greatly improved after escaping the confines of his father, though.

After a quick shower in his bathroom (one of the largest rooms in the house, with both a shower and an extremely large bathtub), Draco pulled on a pair of black jeans with a black T-shirt. No matter who he was or what side he was on, black would always be the color for him. His white-blond hair and pale skin (which had tanned slightly after hours of Quidditch practice) with the black clothing made him look more powerful, like an angel trapped in a world of darkness. Which, in a way, was what he was.

Draco soon found himself standing in front of a full-length mirror, staring at himself for what seemed like an eternity. Who was he? He had spent years being king of the Slytherins, the perfect picture of arrogance and evil, not to mention being the Sex God of Hogwarts- at least, in people's minds he was. In truth, he had only had sex once, and that hadn't even been with a girl at school. His mind drifted back to yet another painful memory, of the summer before his fifth year.

"_Listen, boy, you can't even begin to be a true Death Eater unless you can torture and kill without remorse. If you fail in doing so, then all my years of training you have been wasted. If you do not succeed, then I will have been right to begin with- you really are worth nothing."_

_Lucius Malfoy turned to the corner of one of the first Malfoy Manor's many dungeons, where a Muggle girl was cursed into an invisible cell. All could enter and leave freely except for her. The young girl could not see out, but everyone else could look inside. She looked as if she hadn't even reached her thirteenth birthday._

_Lucius entered the cell, and she became abruptly aware of his presence. Before she could even attempt to do anything, the elder Malfoy calmly raised his wand and said, "Crucio."_

_The girl's screams became louder and more drawn out over time, but she defiantly remained standing. Draco began feeling sick to his stomach. He had never been shown another person under the Cruciatus Curse- his father usually performed it on him instead, to toughen him up, to make him immune to pain. _

_The spell was finally lifted, and the girl quickly collapsed. It was obvious that she was fighting a losing battle. Lucius then raised his wand again, in the same manner as before, and said, "Imperio."_

"_Get up," Lucius commanded. The girl followed the order._

"_Remove your clothing," he ordered. Too weak to resist the power of the Imperius Curse, she did so, with fear still very evident in her eyes._

"_Get back on the ground," Lucius snarled, as he, too, began to strip._

_Draco stood there, frozen, his face a stoic mask, as his own father brutally raped the Muggle girl. He had no idea what his father expected him to do next, but he had the feeling it would be nothing good._

_Lucius finished,got dressed, and stood. He turned to face his son._

"_Now, Draco, it's your turn with this piece of filth. Finish her off, while you're at it."_

The memory never escaped his mind, not for a day. However, he had his own ways of releasing the pain, ways that did not serve to destroy him, unlike so many fellow students at Hogwarts.

He thought back to the CDs in his trunk, along with both an acoustic and an electric guitar. No one but the house-elves knew about these, as his parents would have most definitely killed him if they had known that he owned anything related to Muggles. Not a soul knew about his singing, his songwriting, about his love for music.

No one knew the real him.

"Master Draco, it is time for you to leave for the station," said a small house-elf at the door to his room. He thanked the house-elf, who quickly left.

It was ten-thirty. He was to leave. He was to start over.

If anyone would give him a chance.

Taking a deep breath and holding on to his trunk, Draco Disapparated.

* * *

The taxi carrying Hermione and her things stopped in front of King's Cross. As she got out, the driver removed her trunk and set it on the sidewalk. "Thank you, and have a great day," Hermione said to the taxi driver as she paid him. She walked over to the barrier between platforms nine and ten, inconspicuously slid through, and was welcomed once more to platform nine and three-quarters.

It was ten-thirty, and the platform was full of activity. Hermione could see a few children clinging on to their parents as if they were still umbilically attached- these were definitely some of the first years. Ironically enough, a few feet away there was a small cluster of parents laughing and chatting with one another, yet they all kept sneaking nervous glances at the train. _Separation anxiety, probably, _Hermione thought.

She stepped onto the Hogwarts Express and scanned each compartment as she passed by, searching for her friends. She found Ginny already wildly gossiping with a few sixth-year girl friends, and stopped to talk with her for a while. She and Neville had finally stopped beating around the bush and had started going out at the end of the last school year (Neville had finally begun to show signs of puberty, and had shown them quite well- girls were practically lining up to go out with him).

"Harry and Ron are in the last compartment. They told me to let you know that if I saw you looking for them," Ginny said.

"Thanks. I'll just go talk to them for a little, before I have to go to the first prefects' meeting," said Hermione, as she left the compartment and continued her walk down the train.

She entered the last compartment to find that Harry and Ron were not alone.

Harry and the girl he was- well, having fun with- broke apart quickly when they realized they had a new visitor. Ron, who had been yelling "Why do you two have to do this every single time you're in a room togeth-" abruptly stopped when he noticed Hermione's presence.

"I knew there was _something _you weren't telling me, but I never thought it could have been this, Harry," Hermione said with definite amusement. Harry blushed a deep shade of crimson, while the girl next to him appeared more than just slightly awkward.

"Um, er.....hi, Hermione," said Harry, with a trace of embarrassment. He had grown to be one of the most wanted guys in the school, as had Ron. Both were much taller than Hermione- at five feet seven inches, she was still no match for Harry's six feet and Ron's six foot three.

"Yeah, hi, Hermione," Ron echoed. "You look great."

"You two don't look too bad either," replied Hermione with a smile. She turned to the girl and said, "And since these two can't seem to remember how to introduce anyone...I'm Hermione Granger."

She received a smile in return from the girl, who said, "Natasha Ross. I'm a Ravenclaw seventh year, and Harry's told me everything about you- everything that I haven't already heard at school, at least. It's great to finally meet you."

Natasha was a small girl, at least four inches shorter than Hermione. She seemed a little like the Muggle image of a fairy, with long, flowing dark hair and dark blue eyes. In fact, she looked more like a ballerina than anything else. Hermione instantly liked her- she seemed like an upbeat person, and she and Harry appeared to make a great couple anyway.

"Thanks," Hermione replied, feeling slightly flattered.

"So, Hermione, found out who the Head Boy is yet?" Ron asked.

"Actually, no. I was just coming down here to see how you were doing before I have to go to the prefects' meeting," answered Hermione.

"We have a meeting?"

Apparently, Ron hadn't changed on the inside at all. Even being made Prefect hadn't appeared to have made him any more responsible than before.

"Come on, let's go. We'll leave you two alone. I'll talk to you later, Harry," Hermione said as she and Ron left the compartment to make their way up to the prefect carriage.

The carriage was slightly more luxurious than the regular compartments- though most rumors stated that it was nothing compared to the Head compartment. Large, comfortable sofas lined the walls. When Ron and Hermione went inside, most of the prefects were already present. A quick scan of all the boys showed no Head Badge.

"You don't think Malfoy made Head Boy, do you?" asked Ron.

"I don't see why not, now that I think about it. After all, he does have some of the best marks in the school-" Hermione started.

"But he's Malfoy! Come on, Dumbledore wouldn't do something _that_ stupid, would he?!"

"He joined our side almost a year before Voldemort's fall, Ron! If we can't trust him now, then we'll never be able to! Look at everything he'd ever said or done to me, and how I've managed to forgeve him for it- haven't you been able to at least put some of it all behind you?"

"I'm sorry, but his family-"

"He's not his father, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, exasperated.

A new voice broke in with, "That's right, I'm not my father at all. Last time I checked, he was busy rotting in hell. Since I'm here talking to you two, and I can't be in two places at once, I guess we've ruled out that one, haven't we?"

The look on Draco's face- some anger mixed with astonishment, all barely showing through the calm Malfoy mask- made it very clear that he had heard everything. And the Head Boy badge in his hand answered Ron'e original question.

"So, now that we have that all straightened out, why don't we get started with this meeting?" Draco asked.

* * *

End of Chapter 2. I'm working on 3, but at the moment I have... a single paragraph. Don't worry, I know what'll happen.

We'll have...

the rest of the train ride

the arrival at Hogwarts

the Sorting

and Draco and Hermione find their new rooms...

and while i'm at it, other stuff might happen.

For a while, I thought this was going too slowly, but then I had an OotP flashback, where they didn't even get to the train until chapter ten anyway. However, if you think so, then go ahead and let me know.

and off to learn about derivatives and tangent lines I go.

_In the words of a bad rapper but a god entrepreneur.....Review, or die._

-Keri


	3. Fantasies Interrupted By Reality, Part I

AN: Six reviews. (cries) This is entirely unfair to me. I'm running on what, four hours of sleep a night, trying to figure out just what my calculus teacher's saying over that thick accent of his, and you repay me with _this_?! Bad, bad children.

To those of you who _did_ review, thank you, I love you, and all that. Remind me to read your stories and review them many times over.

I am, somewhere deep inside, a nice person. So even though I said things like "Review, or die..." and made a few threats to leave this story unfinished and languishing slowly in a corner, I'm posting up the third chapter. Excuse me while I leave you all to read and "forget" to review.

**Draco: Maybe they just don't like you.**

Keri: You be quiet before I leave you at a cliffhanger. I'll do it, you know I will...

**Draco: (silence)**

Keri: Much better. And now....Chapter Three.

* * *

**Immortal Blessings**

**Chapter Three: Fantasies Interrupted by Reality, Part One**

Draco couldn't believe that Hermione Granger had actually defended him. After years of being absolutely cruel to her, she had stood up for him to one of her best friends- she believed he had truly changed.

As he stared at her in disbelief, he realized that he hadn't been the only one to undergo changes that summer, but hers were much more visible than his._ That can't really be her,_ he thought. Draco was definitely impressed.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to focus on the "new and improved" Hermione Granger, as her words sent him back to reality.

"You're right. We should get started. Ron, could you please sit down while we try and get their attention?"

Ron grudgingly did as he was told, muttering something like "would never have let _me_ go if I'd said something like that," as he found himself a seat on one of the sofas.

"Excuse me! Would you please quiet down for just a moment?" Hermione called. Almost immediately, all of the prefects silenced and turned to her and Draco, save for a Slytherin fifth year who continued talking to the boy next to her, batting her eyelashes adoringly.

_Looks like we have the next Pansy,_ thought Draco as the one and only was giving him lustful looks from across the compartment. Draco tastefully ignored her as he shot a look at the fifth year girl, who immediately ceased her incessant flirting and turned to the front, the boy giving Draco a look of thanks.

"Now that we have your attention, Miss Meadows, it looks as if we can begin," said Draco with a hint of sarcasm.

Alana Meadows turned slightly pink at this statement. The tall brunette quickly apologized in an attempt to redeem herself.

"All right, welcome to the first prefect meeting of the year, and congratulations on making it, everyone," Hermione began. "Now, your duties as a prefect mainly consist of..."

Draco slowly began to lose focus on everything that was being said as he found himself staring at Hermione. Taking her all in, her long, dark curls, the way she fit into her jeans so well.... _Since when has she had that body? I never noticed this last year, she couldn't have actually had anything then. No way. I didn't think she, of all people, could ever look this good. _

As he drifted off entirely into his imagination, he began to picture himself with her, kissing her, doing more than just kissing..._ I wonder what she's like in bed. I should ask Weasley, he's probably shagged her already, or maybe Potter..._

The thought of him and Hermione together sent him crashing into real memories, rather than fantasies. The spectrum of images passed by like a film reel, the insults flying by... which, unfortunately, made him realize that no matter what she thought, whether she believed he was a new person or not, the years of taunting and cruel words would never go away. Even if she could manage to forgive him for all of it, he felt as if he would never be able to forgive himself.

He didn't deserve her. He had no chance with her.

Hermione unknowingly brought him out of his reverie for the second time, as she asked, "Is there anything you'd like to add, Draco?"

He thought quickly, as he tried to think of anything he might not have heard her say.

"No, I think you've just about covered it all," Draco said.

"Well, you're all free to go wherever you want on the train. Just make sure to occasionally check the corridors for any problems," Hermione said. With that, they were dismissed. The prefects quickly left to find their friends.

All but two, at least.

"Draco, you look like you'll be lonely with everyone else gone," Pansy simpered, moving closer and closer to Draco. As she placed her hand on his leg, she leaned over, giving Draco a view of her magically enhanced breasts spilling out of a too-tight tank top.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I may not be lonely, but I will be alone. Go find someone else to fuck, Pansy."

The girl pouted, using her last attempt at looking even halfway tempting. Unfortunately for her, it failed miserably. "But Drakie, I thought that we could use some personal-"

"OUT!" Draco shouted. Pansy wasted no time in leaving; she knew what it was like to deal with an angry Malfoy.

Meanwhile, Ron was trying to get Hermione to come back to talk with Harry and Natasha. Like they would ever end up talking. Those two were probably too busy snogging the life out of each other yet again.

"Ron, I'll be fine up here. I want to check out the Head compartment, if it's as good as I've heard."

"But what about-"

"Let's not start this again, Ron. I'll be all right, I said that. Have fun with Harry and Natasha- if you can call that fun."

Ron sighed. "I guess you figured out I needed someone to talk to. I'll leave them alone. I wonder if Dean and Seamus are playing Exploding Snap again... see you later, Hermione." And with that he left to find something to do.

Draco and Hermione were alone together.

After trying to calm himself after the Pansy encounter, Draco said, slightly awkwardly, "So maybe we should make our way to the Head compartment?"

"Good, I'm not the only one who wanted to," Hermione said with a trace of a sigh. a bit of tension was broken between the two, as they walked over to the door separating them from their personal compartment on the train.

At the same time, both thought,

_Maybe this ride won't be as long as I think._

* * *

AN: I'm sorry, I promised but didn't entirely deliver...but I have the next chap partially written. Everyone happy-ish? It was supposed to be a part of this one, but I didn't want to make it entirely too long.

Now that I think about it, though, this chapter isn't very long at all.

**Hermione: See, I told you.**

Keri: What, now you _and _Draco are against me?! You two are perfect for each other.

**Hermione: Excuse me?!**

Keri: You heard what I said.

**Hermione: And I think that you should-**

Keri: Oh, look! It's late! And I have class tomorrow! Why don't we continue this some other time?

_Review, or I'll come chasing after you in your sleep with various weapons of torture..._

-Keri


	4. On Hold, for my own special reasons

I know, I know, I haven't updated. Sorry, but with the play and my million AP classes, writing a fanfic somehow ended up on the back burner.

So when I sat down to write Chapter Four, I was met with a crapload of writer's block. Wonderful, of course. I could barely remember where I wanted this story to go, and I didn't like what I'd wanted before anyway. So I'm putting **Immortal Blessings** on hold- not that many people read it in the first place. I don't blame them; I can't stand reading the beginning of a story, waiting for more- I wait until something really long catches my eye.

On the bright side, I am writing a **Hermione Granger/Blaise Zabini** fic, currently untitled. Look out for that one, because I'll probably be putting a lot more time into it. I have more free rein, since Zabini is virtually nonexistent in the books.

Have fun writing and reading, or whatever you end up doing. I'll be over in my own little corner trying to make time where there is none, and writing the first chapter of my new fic instead of studying for my AP English midterm exam tomorrow.

-Keri


End file.
